A Distributed Systems Perspective on Industrial IoT

Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) is frequently mentioned as one of the emerging areas in computing that may have a high potential real-world impact in the coming decade. In this paper, we analyze the challenges posed and opportunities offered by industrial IoT solutions from the distributed systems perspective. We focus on the sensing and actuation layer, which results from the the tight coupling of such solutions with the physical objects they monitor and control. We analyze this layer with respect to interoperability, scalability, and dependability, which are key features of many distributed systems.

I. Introduction

Starting from 2012, the IEEE Computer Society publishes annually a list of about ten key trends in computing technology that are expected to reach adoption in the following year(s). In particular, the prediction for 2018 includes deep learning, digital currencies, technologies referred to as “blockchain,” industrial Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, assisted transportation, augmented and virtual reality, hardware for computing accelerators, artificial intelligence for cybersecurity, and, finally, ethics, laws, and policies for privacy, security, and liability [1]. Interestingly, two years ago, the accuracy of those predictions started being evaluated, with the overall grades so far equal to B+ in 2016 [2] and A-in 2017 [3], which may suggest that the forecasts are at least somewhat reliable. In any case, for 2018, the same technologies appear in a number of similar predictions made by other entities and individuals. Therefore, let us assume that the enumerated trends are indeed what will drive computing in the nearest future.